The National Epilepsy Foundation has supported the development of EEGs which are easier to wear and which do not need the help of a technician. There is also a portal for clinical trials, so that more epilepsy patients make use of the studies available to them www.epilepsy.com/clinical_trials.

Art Therapy is a blast!

The art therapy in South Hampton Roads is in full swing. Parents and children are having a good time.Next month, art therapy will start in Winchester with the help of Dr. Lyons office! Contact us to register before June 30th!

Here are a few pictures of Dr. Lyons (left) and art participants (bottom) in NOVA

SUDEP Research

The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia gave a donation to Dr. Fountain for SUDEP research. We are excited to see where this takes us!

Support of Virginia Governor

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was very active with epilepsy patients. He signed a declaration supporting the growth of CBD in Virginia (bottom left).

In addition, he hosted one of the winners of the USE A HELMET CAMPAIGN, Izabella Flett with her family (top right, bottom right). The Executive Director came in to donate the helmet and the certificate. Thanks to Senator McClellan, Representatives Ball, O'Bannon, and last but not least, Governor McAuliffe for helping us to get the word out about epilepsy.

Community

Camp Holiday Trails
Ruchelle Buenaventura (top left, topright) and Suzanne Bischoff (top left, bottom) trained Camp Holiday Trails staff on epilepsy first aid and gave a stipend for young epilepsy heroes to attend camp. Camp counselors asked many good questions and the day ended with a selfie on Ruchelle’s phone. It was a good day!

Camp dates are between June 25 - July 21, concluding with a family weekend.

Erica Peranski has been seizure free for eight years with one break through seizure. Most persons who are seizure free, choose not to be involved with EFVA anymore. Not Erica. Two years ago, Erica was in Dr. Waterhouse office. She expressed her frustration with her situation and was begging for another solution, which did not involve daily medications. Dr. Waterhouse explained to Erica how well she was in comparison to others with epilepsy.

Erica has a full time job as a clinical specialist teaching children from 16 months to five years old who have been diagnosed with autism. She is also two years away from her masters degree. Erica has many friends and a faithful dog called Kodi (pictured on right). When driving to school at 16 (with a drivers license), Erica blacked out long enough to have an accident. Before that time, her absence seizures that lasted about three to five seconds and nobody had noticed them, even though she had three concussions from her cheerleading during high school. Erica took two years to become seizure free. She was going through the trial and error phase, that so many patients suffer through. She went to college when she still had seizures, but she behaved wisely. At one moment she became eager to do surgery. Her parents and neurologist were strongly against it.

Finally, she and her physicians got the medication right. She had a breakthrough seizure in 2013, but her license was not taken away because it was due in part of changing her medication.

Erica Says: "After a selfish moment where I was feeling sorry for myself, Dr. Waterhouse put things in perspective for me. Many others may never find something that works for them that works. In that moment, I realized I am so lucky to be controlled and I want to do anything I can to give others with epilepsy hope, so they can live full and happy lives like me!"

Erica contacted the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EFVA) and we are grateful for this wonderful volunteer. She is happy to give support, as part of our Virginia Network, to those who are going through this journey! Ask us for her contact information.